This is a vaguely dull situation but I am genuinely interested in whether in general people think my perspective is unreasonable or this company's is. This is a bit long (sorry) but I don't want to drip feed.
Last November I bought a pair of puma shoes online. I have had them before in different colours (use for commuting) and know I need a UK 7.5 for the right fit.
The website I bought from has a .co.uk ending but is based, I think, in Denmark.
I had to specify a EUR size to buy the shoes. Their online size guide (on their website and actually specific to each manufacturer) equated a EUR 42 with a UK 7.5 so I ordered that.
The shoes arrived, the label in the shoe said EUR 42 UK 8 so obviously they were too big, and their web info wrong. I sent them back to a UK PO address (paid for postage) with an exchange note saying I wanted a UK 7.5, which I might assume would be a EUR 41 but given their web info is wrong, if someone could look at the label of the shoe and make sure it said UK 7.5 that would be helpful.
Didn't hear anything for ages so I emailed them. Turns out the return has to go to UK address, then get shipped to Denmark and processed before they do anything- 4-5 weeks generally. So, fine, I waited.
Emailed again after that amount of time and then got a reply that they had them, could I confirm the size I want? Explain as per returns note it's hard to do that as their website doesn't match the shoe labels for UK/EUR conversion, but that I want a UK 7.5 and I assume that could be a EUR 41.
They emailed me back to say they had shipped a EUR 42 as that was (from their information) the equivalent of a UK 7.5.
I pointed out that was the size they sent before, which I had tried on, which was too big, as I had explained previously.
Mucho apologising, voucher (won't use) issued. Told me to 'reject the parcel' when it arrived in the UK. and they would immediately issue the right size.
When the parcel arrived the courier wouldn't let us reject it. So I had to pay for postage back to Germany in order to get it 'returned to sender' - did this in Feb.
Told them I had done it. Clearly someone new dealing (no names given) who said thanks! When we get it back we'll send the shoes. Pointed out they had said they would send immediately. Heard nothing. Chased a couple of times, nothing, so lost interest and said I wanted a refund. Heard nothing.
Then end March got automated emails saying it had been received back and the exchange would be processed. Emailed again saying didn't want the shoes but wanted a refund.
They emailed me to say that as I had paid by paypal and more than 30days had passed, they couldn't do a refund via paypal. So, could I send, over email (I use yahoo) all my bank details so they can do a bank transfer.
I said no, not secure (yahoo at least) and I don't trust them to manage that data properly at their end. Asked them to make a direct paypal payment or send a cheque.
They've taken 3 weeks and me chasing to say they don't want to. Say they don't do direct paypal payments and don't issue cheques. Pointed out their finance dept say me providing my bank details can only result in payments to my account and not from.
I do realise that in general this is true but feel uncomfortable distributing that sort of information electronically in an unsecure format (ie not a webform with encryption). It's just more personal important data out there in an uncontrolled way which I think has risk attached.
I also don't know where I stand legally given they are not a uk company. Not sure where I would stand in the UK to be honest.
I am also a bit cross that they accept paypal knowing their refund/exchange process at 4-5 weeks is by default longer than the 30 day limit PayPal sets for refunds.
So what do you think, should I relax and send the bank details over my yahoo email? Ask for a postal address so I can send a hard copy of the details (somewhat more secure to my mind). Or hold out and say it is not reasonable of them to dictate the way the refund should be made?